The Island of Kos

If you are planning to travel to Greece, you should not forget to visit the Kos Island. It is a beautiful little island situated very closely to the Asia Minor. Its area is roughly 290 square metres, and the length of its coastline is approximately 112 km. it is possible to reach the Kos from Athens and Rhodes by aur, or from the Port of Piraeus, Rafina, and Cyclades, by using ferry. It is also easily reachable from islands in the northern part of the Aegean, Kavala, Crete, Rhodes, and the Dodecanese islands.

In the ancient time, Kos was well populated. The history of the kos Island began around the 14th century B.C, the Minoan people from Crete arrived in the Kos Island. A few centuries thereafter, the Dorians started to arrive as well, and they worked together to build the Kos Island, which has since turned into its present form. The Dorians worked together with people from the Lindus, Rhodes, and Halicarnassus areas to form the so called Dorian Hexapolis.

In the 5th century B.C the Persians began to conquer Greece, and the Kos Island was also victimized after they were defeated by the Athenian League. Hippocrates, the father of the modern medicine world, was in fact born in the Kos Island. In an effort to honour his great works, after his death the people of Kos built the Asklepeion to honour the god Asklepios, which operated a hospital and cared for many sick people from all over Greece, by applying the methods taught by Hippocrates.

In the year 336 B.C, Alexander The Great took Kos. After his death, he was succeeded by Ptolemies. In year 1315, the Knights of St. John became the major leader of the island, and built a great fortress, which nowadays stands at the entrance to the harbour of Kos. In year 1522, the Turkish people took the Kos Island and kept it in their hand for almost four centurues. In 1912, the Italians took the island, and finally in 1948 it was returned to Greece.

Nowadays, the Kos Island remains as one of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Its climate stays warm throughout the year, and it is simply the perfect place for those who wish to escape the harsh winter climates, or simply to relax. One will find that it is not enough to just visit once, it has many beautiful beaches, beautiful ancient ruins, historical buildings, as well as its natural beauty. In addition to that, despite its small size, Kos has an array of tourist facilities, nightclubs, and shopping malls. Kos has vibrant nightlives, and whether you wish to spend your time sightseeing during the day or the night, you will not run out of things to see in this breathtaking island.

(Source: http://www.greecegreek.com)